Stray Bullet Interrupts Olympic Equestrian Press Conference

Reuters8 Aug 2016

A stray bullet interrupted a press conference at the Olympic Equestrian Center Sunday, with authorities suggesting it may have been meant for either a police blimp or a drone that was helping with security for the event.

During a press conference on Sunday, according to Reuters, Defense Minister Raul Jungmann told reporters, “One hypothesis is that someone who felt they were being filmed and observed made the shot.” However, due to the center’s close proximity to a military complex, it has been speculated that the bullet could have originated from there. Jungmann did rule out that the bullet came from the Olympic firing range two kilometers away. “The bullet absolutely did not come from the Olympic shooting competition held at a venue more than 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) away,” Jungmann said.

The bullet reportedly entered the press center just feet away from reporters who were gathered to cover the event. Ingmar De Vos, president of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), told Reuters, “Obviously this is a worrying situation and is not an incident we can take lightly as the safety of everyone at our venue – athletes, horses, media and spectators – is of prime importance.” Vos went on to say “The FEI is actively monitoring the situation and we have asked for confirmation about the measures that have been put in place to ensure there will not be a recurrence.”

This is not the first time that reporters have come under fire covering the Rio games. Breitbart News reported an incident Friday in which a group of Chinese basketball reporters came under fire as they made their way from Rio airport to the Olympic village. None of the reporters were injured during the roadside firefight, but this incident and the one on Sunday highlight the danger that Rio poses to visitors.

This incident in the latest in a string of security mishaps that plaguing the Rio games thus far. As reported by Breitbart News, the Rio games have seen a steady string of rapes and rape attempts, shootings and murders, and terror threats. In addition to the security threats, there is also the very real and present threat of Zika virus. Athletes and spectators that have traveled to Rio have taken their lives in their own hands.